Interviewing
a Doctor
by Barbara D. Allan
Author of Conquering Arthritis
Last week I discussed how to find a doctor who knows
about the types of healing methods I recommend for arthritis.
Once you have located some promising candidates, the
next step is to screen them.
Some questions are best asked by calling the office,
before making an appointment:
- What technical certifications, professional organizations
and hospital affiliations does this practitioner have?
Do they have a specialty or subspecialty?
- Do they treat many patients with arthritis? What
sort of success rate have they had?
- How long does it take on average to get an appointment?
- What are the doctor's office hours?
- How long do patients typically spend in the waiting
room when they have an appointment scheduled?
- How many patients does this office book per hour?
- Is this doctor covered by your insurance plan or
HMO?
- Where are they located?
- When is the best time to call with follow-up questions
after an appointment? [Some doctors set aside time
each day or week for telephone consultations. Others
take or return calls whenever they are able to. Any
doctor who 'does not talk to patients on the phone,'
should not be your doctor.]
Once you have an appointment with a new practitioner,
it's also important to establish good lines of communication
in your first meeting. This helps you assess how well
the two of you are able to work together, and also sets
a good foundation for future discussions about your
health and healing.
During the first visit you will want to find out:
- How does he/she feel about second opinions and the
particular alternative health care therapies/treatments
you are interested in? Are they willing and able to
support you in those therapies? Do they have other
therapies they might also recommend? Are they willing
to educate you enough to make an informed decision
on these other treatment options?
- Do you feel comfortable and cared for when you
visit the office? Does the staff further your sense
of well being?
- Is your appointment time honored or do you have
to wait?
- Do you feel this practitioner is there for you?
Do you feel trust and confidence? Does he/she seem
to care about you? Is your personal dignity respected?
- Does he/she personally take your medical history?
If not, does he/she still discuss the highlights of
your history with you?
- Does he/she take an interest in your family, lifestyle
and diet?
- Are you told about various treatment options?
- Are you able to discuss the financial aspects of
your care openly and comfortably?
- Are your questions welcome?
Once you have chosen a doctor, and had a few office
visits, you should also be able to answer 'yes' to the
following:
- Do you have confidence in this doctor's ability?
- Do you feel continuity of care between visits?
Your doctor should be able to recall your last visit
and gauge your progress.
- Is your doctor sharing the results of all pertinent
diagnostic tests with you?
- Are we working together as a team?
- Is this relationship working for me?
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